Bed.



C. B. CH'ENAULT.

BED.

APPLICATION Fi ED PR. 28. 1916- 1,241,195. L A PatentedSept. 25, 191?. 3 SHEETS$HEET l.

C. B. CHENAULT.-

BED.

APPLICATiON FILED APR. 28. 1916.

'- Patented Sept. 25,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 C. B. CHENAULT.

BED.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 19I6.

Patented Sept. 25,1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

amen/bo a Che malt parts;

% ATENT FFTQ.

I COLBY B. CI-IENAULT, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAI-IOMA.

BED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

Application filed April 28, 1916. Serial No. 94,182.

To all whom it'may concern.-

cial reference to means for supporting the bed bottom. The primary object of the invention is to provide novel slmple means for equalizing the pressure upon the bed bottom so that the bottom will remain level under all conditions. A. secondary object of the invention is to provide a'bed bottom support which may be readily applied to beds of difierent widths and in which the parts will be so constructed that they may be readily assembled orv disassembled from the bed. The invention seeks particularly to provide a mechanism for the stated purpose which will be composed of very few parts so that the, cost of production will be minimized without detracting in any way from the strength or utility of the device.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter first fully described and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the annexed drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a bed having my improvements applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same;

equalizing levers and their connections with the bed bottom r Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the connection between the inner ends of the equalizing levers;

Fig.6 is a detail view showing the man'- ner of supporting the outer end of an-equalizing lever upon the side bar' or rall of the bedstead;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the device applied to a bed rail which is arranged diflerently from'that shown iii-Fig. 6

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the rail-engaging hook and the bracing bar adapted-to cooper ate therewith: Fig. 9 is a detail plan Fig. 1 is a detail view of a portiongof the spring support for the central port onv of the becl'bottom.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the View of the an In the drawings, 1 indicates the head member and 2 the-foot member of an ordinary metallic bedstead which are connected by side rails 3 in the usual manner. A bed bottom at is supported upon the side rails and this bed bottom is carried by tubular side bars 5 having their ends secured to angle bars 6, the flexible link fabric of the bed bottom being connected to the said end bars by coiled springs 7, as shown. The particu lar form of the fabric is immaterial and it may be of any type now in common use. To prevent sagging of the central portion of the bed bottom and thereby maintain the mattress 8 in proper shape, I provide a central yieldable support consisting of a plurality of helical springs 9 which have their upper ends connected with the bed bottom fabric by links 10 and have their lower ends carried by a frame 11 consisting of stout wire rods 12 disposed at right angles to each other and having their ends secured to a rectangular frame of similar material. Connecting wires or links 13 extend from the said frame 11 to the end bars and thereby serve to suspend the said frame from the said end bars.

To the depending flange of the end bars 6, between the center of the same and the ends thereof, 1 secure brackets l' l having spaced depending lugs 15 between which are pivotally mounted the equalizing levers 16. These levers are bent at their pivotal points so that their outer ends will be spaced vertically from the end 'bars and provide room for the supporting springs 17. These springs 17 may be of any preferred form and provided in any desired number and will have their lowest coils threaded through openings provided therefor. in the equalizing levers near the outer; extremities of the same, while theupper ends of the said springs will be fitted in openings in the brackets or lugs 18 secured to the end bars 6, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The inner ends-of the equalizing levers overlap and are connected by links 19which are-disposed in pairs, the ends of the levers fitting between the links forming a pair so that relative lateral movement of the adjacent ends of the levers will be prevented and the said 'leverends will be caused to move in a vertical plane. The outer extremities of the equalizing levers are bent laterally so as toprovidean attachingarm and the ing or bracket having an upper portion adapted to extend over the side rail 3 of the bedstead and provided with a depending lip '23 at its outer end which will engage against the outer surface of the said rail.

The inner portion of the rail-engaginghook is carried downwardly and the downwardly extending portion is connected with the top by a curved neck 24 upon which the upper extremity of the leaf spring or resilient hanger 21 is secured. The opposite ends of the hanger are permanently attached to the equalizing lever and the hook respectively by rivets 25, as shown and as will be readily understood. Below the neck 24, the downwardly extending portion of the rail-engaging hook is slightly curved, as shown at 26, so that the hook may be readily engaged over a bedrail. Near the lower extremity of the hook, angular lugs 27 are provided on its side edges and these lugs are adapted to be engaged by a stay bar or. brace 28 con sisting of a flat plate or bar provided near one end with a key-hole slot 29 adapted to receive the lug 27. The opposite end of' the stay bar or brace is made slightly convex, as shown at 80, to facilitate the adjustment of the bar. After the stay bars have been engaged over their respective lugs 27, washers 31 may be placed upon the lugs against the stay bars and the heads of the lugs then upset so that the stay bars will be retained in place. WVhen the side rails 3 of the bedstead are arranged as shown in Figs. 2 and 6 withthe horizontalflanges at their upper edges, the stay bars 28 will be disposed as shown in Fig. 6 with their free ends bearing against the inner face of the vertical flange of the rail so that they serve "as supports and braces for the downwardly. extending portions of the railengaging hooks. When the rail is arranged as "shown in Fig. 7, which is the construction preferred by some manufacturers, the

' lip 23. will engage over the upper edge of the-vertical flange, as shown in Fig. 7 and thelower end of the rail-engaging hook will bear against the free edge of the horizontal flange of the rail. As the bed rail thus sufficiently braces the rail-engaging hook the stay bar is not needed and-will be turned to a vertical position, as illustrated, so as to be out of the way. Itwill be readily understood from Fig. 9 that a stay bar is provided on each side of the rai1-engaging hook so that, twisting of the hook will be positively prevented without exerting excessive strain upon the lip 23 thereof.

assembly of the parts.

When the stay bar is to be employed, as shown in Fig. 6, the rounded edge 30 there-- of will permit it to be readily brought up into position to engage the side rail and the pendent portion of the rail-engaging hook may be slightly canted so as to aid in the If the stay baris not to be used, as illustrated in Fig. 7, the bar is moved longitudinally so that the circular portion of the key-hole slot 29 will engage the lug 27 and permit the bar to be turned to a vertical position, whereupon the parts may be engaged with the bed rail, as will be readily understood. The end of the stay bar may rest upon the lower horizontal flange of the bed rail so that movement of the stay bar about the lug 27 will be prevented, whereas, if the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 6, the straightjportion of the keyhole slot 29 will engage the flat sided lug 27 and movement of the stay bar will be prevented, so that it will remain constantly in engagement with the bed rail.

WVith the parts arranged as shown and.

described, if weight be placed upon a corner of the mattress or bed bottom, that corner of the mattress or bed bottom will, of course, tendto move downwardly, andthis downward movement will be transmitted through the springs 17 and bracket 1a to the equalizing lever supporting said spring so that the lever will tend to move toward and beneath the side rail 3 and a pull is exerted through the links 19 uponvthe upper end of the coacting lever. Said coacting lever will thereupon be moved in the same manner and to the same extent as the lever primarily actuated, the result being that the end of the mattress orbed bottom will remain level. Should weight be applied to the central portion of the mattress on either side, it will be transmitted to the two corners of the mattress and the springs at bothends of .the bed actuated.

resilient hanger 21 and, consequently, the wear will be minimized. The curved formation of the attachingarm and'the neck 24: of the rail-engaging hook will alsoreduce the bending strain upon theresilienthang' The convex form of the at- I tachmg arm will permit the end of the lever to swing outward without binding upon the move freely without coming into contact with the ends of the equalizing levers or un duly compressing or straining thesupporting springs and it will be readily noted that p the apparatus is composedof very few parts which may be easily produced and brought together so that the cost "of manufacture may be kept to an economical basis,

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination with a bedstead, and a bed bottom, of equalizing levers supporting the bed bottom, suspending hooks adapt ed to engage the bedstead and having curved necks at their inner portions, curved attaching arms at the outer ends of the equalizing levers, and leaf springs having their lower ends secured to said attaching arms and their upper ends secured upon said curved necks.

2. The combination with a bedstead, and

a bed bottom, of equalizing levers supporting the bed bottom, suspending hooks adapted to engage the bedstead, and resilient connections between said hooks and the equalizing levers, and stay bars carried by said hooks and adapted to engage the bedstead.

3. The combination with a bedstead, and a bed bottom, of equalizing levers supporting the bed bottom, suspending hooks adapted to engage the bedstead and having downwardly extending portions on their inner sides, resilient connections between said hooks and the equalizing levers, lugs on the downwardly extending portions of said hooks, and stay bars having a slidable and pivotal engagement with the said lugs and adapted to engage against the bedstead.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

vCOLBY B. GHENAULT. [1 s.]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

